Clasp.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

ANo. 885,267.

E. J. MARTEL.

CLASP. APPLICATION FILED sBPT.14. 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR J. MARTEL, OF WARE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ZEPHIRPOTVIN, OF WEBSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed. September 14, 1907. Serial No. 392,825.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, EDGAR J. MARTEL, a citizen of the United States olAmerica, residinol at l/Vare, in the county ol Hampshire and State ol.1Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps, oi'which the 'following is a speci'l'ication.

My present invention relates to improvements in clasps for neck-chainsand the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a clasp or lock that willsecurely hold the ends of the chain together and without any danger ofaccidental separation and loss, a further object of the invention is toprovide a device that cannot accidentally become unlocked and also onethat provides a double locking means for the clasp.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view onthe line 1 1 oi' Fig. 3, showing the position of the parts locked. Fig.2 is a detail view et the clasp showing the parts unlocked. Fig. 3 is anexternal view of the clasp with the parts locked together. Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional View on'the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the outerend of the locking lever in position -lor unlocking. Fig. 5 is a viewsimilar to Fig. Ll showing the outer shell revolved so that the lockinglever is `brought over a projection or edge on the outer shell. Fig. 6is a transverse sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, showing theouter shell rotated in the reverse direction 'from that shown in Fig. 5,and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the inner shell which carries thelocking lever.

Referring to the drawings in detail or designates the inner shell and l)the outer shell of the clasp. The inner shell is provided with inwardlybent ears c to which is pivott ally connected the locking lever d.' Thislever is rovided with a bent end c having a locking ip f, the oppositeend ol" the lever .is also a locking end 'for the spear g that is shownin detail in Fig. 2. This spear is provided with a head end 7L, and ashoulder portion 'L' lor receiving the end y' ol' the locking lever d,as clearly shown in Fig. 1 in its locked position. The inner shell a isprovided with a socket 7c for receiving the head end 7L of spear, asshown in Fig. 1.

m designates a spring looped through -openings n and o of the lockinglever l as shown in Fig. 7, the normal tendency ol this spring being toforce the end j ol the lever inward towards the axisho'll the shell.

The spear element g is inserted, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to bring theopening q in the barrel l) in register with the end e of the lever d andby rotating the shell b, the hooked end fot the lever can be broughtinto engagement with the edge fr of the opening g. This position of thearts prevents the ever f from being 'lorced L ownwards and the endelevated.

The projection s on the outer shell b is adapted to engage the end e olthe lever f when rotated in the opposite direction as shown in Fig. 6.This position is also shown in sectional elevation in Fig. 2, wherebythe spear can be readily inserted and Withdrawn without locking theparts together. lhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. l or inFig. 1, the user can by depressing the end e of the lever d readilydisengage the end Al'rom the shoulder "i ol" the s ear and permit thesame to be withdrawn 'rom the inner shell e.

lt will be observed that the outer shell is rotatably secured to thehead end t of the inner shell by means of the annular groove 'u and thebent-in portion v of the outer shell l). Also the over-hanging end 3 ofthe inner shell all'ords a shoulder or ledge lior the end ol' the springm to bear against. It will also be noted that the construction hereindescribed permits the clasp to be in a 'locked condition as shown inFig. 1 or in a double locked condition as shown in Fig. 5, or in anunlocked condition as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

The inner shell a is provided with a head Iw to which the ring fc isattached and preferably made integral and to which one end of the chaindesignated at y is secured. The other end of the chain is secured to eyez of the spear .f/ as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

lt will be evident l'roin this detailed description ol my invention thatl have devised a very simple and ellicient locking device or clasp for aneck-chain, or other similar article and one that will securely hold thechain together and prevent accidental loss thereo'l', from the claspbecoming unlocked.

That l claim, is:

1. ln a locking device l'or neck-chains comprising an outer and an innershell rotatably secured together, the inner shell carrying a lockinglever pivotally secured to the same, a spear having an enlarged head forreceiving the end ol' the locking lever, whereby the spear and shellsare locked together.

2. In a clasp for neck-chains comprising an inner shell and an outershell, the inner shell being provided with inwardly extending ears, alocking lever mounted in the ears and having its locking end extendingtoj Wards the closed end oi' the inner shell and the operating endextending toward the open end of the said shell, the outer shell havingan o ening for receiving the operable end of the ocking lever, a spearhaving a shoulder against Which the locking end of the lever rests Whenin locking position, and means carried by the lever for normally holdingthe looking end of said lever toward the axis of the shell.

3. In a locking device for chains comprising an inner and outer shellrotatably mounted one on the other, a locking lever carried by the innershell and having its operable end provided With a locking lip forengaging a portion of the outer shell When the outer shell is rotated inone direction, and a projection on the outer shell for engaging thelocking li When rotated in the opposite di` rection, W ereby in oneposition said lever is rendered operative and in another positioninoperative, and a spear provided With a shoulder for receiving thelocking end of said lever. l

4. In a clasp for neck-chains comprising an inner and an outer shellrotatably secured together, the inner shell having an over-hanging lipas 3, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the inner shell, a springcarried by the locking lever and having one end located under theover-hanging lip, whereby the locking lever is normally held toward theaxis of the shell, a spear element 'for engaging a socket'in the headend of the inner shell and provided with a shoulder for receiving thelooking end of the lever, and

means on the outer shell for placing the lever in a locked and unlockedcondition, depending upon the direction of rotation of the outer shell.

5. As an article of manufacture a clasp comprising an inner and outershell, the outer shell having a locking lip, an opening, and aprojection, a locking lever carried by the inner shell and having itsouter end projecting through the opening and also provided with alocking lip Yfor engaging With either the locking lip of the outer shellor the projection on said shell, as described.

EDGAR J. MARTEL, litnesses WM. C. EATON, ARTHUR F. THAYER.

